October 17, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
With the National Book Award finalists announced last week, Salon’s Laura Miller argues that the awards have made themselves irrelevant. Bookforum reports that Renata Adler’s 1976 novel Speedboat, which NBCC
October 10, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
David L. Ulin looks at the poetry of Tomas Transtromer, winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in literature, at the Los Angeles Times. Scott Esposito, founder of the literary website
October 3, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
NBCC board member Gregg Barrios will be honored on Wednesday, October 5, at the University of Texas San Antonio at The New Latino Generation. Barrios’ work will be read and
September 25, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
William Deresiewicz tees off on Harold Bloom’s reputation in general and his latest book, The Anatomy of Influence, in particular in the New Republic. “To say that [Harold] Bloom has
September 19, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
Parul Sehgal, winner of the 2011 Balakian award, reviews Aatish Taseer’s Noon for the New York Times Book Review and Paul Hendrickson’s biography Hemingway’s Boat for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
September 12, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
Adam Kirsch (in the Wall Street Journal) and Laura Miller (in Salon) consider why the definitive 9/11 novel has yet to be written (and if it can be). How much
September 5, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
Jim Ruland has a new monthly books column at San Diego CityBeat. His first entry covers a handful of travel-themed books, including Judith Schalansky’s Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands
August 22, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
What makes a great critic? Maria Bustillos asks the question at the Awl, and answers in part: “What we really need is a critic who has got something interesting to
August 15, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
Rayyan Al-Shawaf reviews Amy Waldman’s debut novel, The Submission, for the New York Press. Maureen Corrigan reviews Kevin Wilson’s debut novel, The Family Fang, for NPR. Bobby Baird reviews Stephan
August 1, 2011
By Mark Athitakis
Should novelists double as book critics? Lev Grossman, Time critic and author of the forthcoming novel The Magician King, expresses second thoughts about his dual life as author and reviewer